James Stuart Keate OC (October 13, 1913 – March 1, 1987) was a Canadian journalist who rose through the ranks to become publisher of the Victoria Times from 1950 to 1964 and the Vancouver Sun from 1964 until his retirement in 1979.
[1] After high school, Keate attended University of British Columbia, where he began his journalism career writing for the student newspaper Ubyssey.
[6]: 49 Keate and the Victoria Daily Times added fuel to the scandal with many articles exposing the close relationship between Sommers and BCFP, including the acceptance of gifts and services.
"[6] Sommers stated that the attacks on himself and his ministry by Stu Keate had occupied too much of the legislature's time, and in consequence, offered his resignation as cabinet minister to Premier W.A.C.
In their book about the scandal, Betty O'Keefe and Ian MacDonald related that "Urbane Victoria Times publisher Stu Keate was unrepentant, taking the resignation as a compliment to him and his paper."
[4] In 1954 the paper offered $7500 to English Channel swimmer Florence Chadwick to attempt the 18.5 mi (29.8 km) crossing of the Juan de Fuca Strait, with a $2500 bonus if she succeeded.
On the day of the unveiling in Beacon Hill Park in June 1956, the Victoria Daily Times published a 14-page "Totem Souvenir Edition" that listed the names of more than 10,000 people who had bought 50-cent shares, including Winston S. Churchill and Bing Crosby.
[10] During his time with the Sun, Keate hired many notable journalists, including Allan Fotheringham, Denny Boyd, Bob Hunter (later a co-founder of Greenpeace), and Marjorie Nichols.
[11] In the spring of 1966, a dispute arose between the CBC and the Toronto Producers' Association concerning the popular but controversial investigative news television program This Hour Has Seven Days.
One of the most well-known of these was the unscheduled interview Larry Zolf conducted on the front doorstep of former federal Minister of Defence Pierre Sévigny concerning the Munsinger Affair.
Concerned about the show's approach to the news, the CBC directors fired hosts Patrick Watson and Laurier LaPierre in April 1966, just before the end of the TV season, but without consulting with the program's executive producer Doug Leiterman.
[3] Following two weeks of mediation, Keate said it was clear that there had been "mistakes made on both sides" and recommended that the CBC board of directors do a better job of explaining to the public its decision to fire Watson and LaPierre.